Dear Diary, it's Marilyn

Chapter 5

Guess what! This story got to #9 for historical fiction! But now it's back up to 16. Oh well.

Chapter 5

Jim was gone. His mother cried the day he left. I kissed him on the cheek and bid him good luck. And then he was gone.

Jim really hadn’t thought his plan through. He only got paid at the end of the month, and the amount he would be paid was a mere $10. With the money needed to keep the house, buy food, and treat Jim’s father, that barely covered food and medicine. We still had to worry about keeping the house.

So I did the only thing I could do; I got a job at an airplane factory. Margaret suggested it; she worked there too.

It was not pleasant, easy work. I had to spray the plane parts with a fire retardant that stung your eyes and skin. I also had to help make parachutes, which scarred my hands and fingers.

The hours were long and the pay was not very good. Even though Margaret worked there with me, we didn’t get many opportunities to talk to each other. I didn’t make any other friends.

One day, about a month after I started working at the factory, a man came in to photograph women workers for an army magazine, the Yank. The man was wearing a cheap brown suit and a black and white polka dot tie.

I was fixing a small propeller when the man approached me with his camera.

“Excuse me, ma’am. Could I take a few photos of you for a magazine?” He had a nasally voice that reminded me a little of Jim.

“Of course. Should I pose?” I was excited. I had never had my picture taken before.

“Just smile, look pretty, and hold that machinery up.” He instructed as he brought the camera up to his eye, so I did.

There were some bright flashes of light and then it was over.

“You’re very pretty, if you don’t mind me saying.” He commented with a grin.

“Thank you.”

“You shouldn’t be working in a factory. You should be modeling. You’d be great!”

“Modeling? I don’t know if I’m cut out for that…” I said, but his words had made my day. A model was the next best thing to an actress! I had always dreamed of modeling, but I always assumed I wasn’t pretty enough.

“You’d be amazing! Listen,” he motioned me in close. “have you ever heard of The Blue Book Modeling Agency?” I shook my head no. “Well, they’re big, and they’re looking for models. Their agency is downtown. You should try sign with them.”

“How do I sign with them?” I asked, feeling like an amateur.

“Just walk in there and audition. They’ll take a look at you and if they like you, you’ve got yourself a job. By the way, I’m David Conover.

“I’m Norma Jean Dougherty.”

I thanked David and thought over what he told me as I got back to work. This was a chance to make my dreams come true. Tomorrow was my day off, so I could just walk into town and stop by the agency.

I didn’t tell Ethel about the modeling agency. I just told her I was going into town to do some shopping, and then I left.

The walk to the agency was long, but luckily it was nearing fall and the weather had cooled down. I had done my makeup perfectly; I had to look my best. Modeling was all based on appearance.

The Blue Book Modeling Agency was a two-story building in the center of town near the cinema. The building was all white with its name in blue letters.

Walking into the building, I felt a little self-conscious. There were two other girls there in waiting chairs who were very beautiful. I smiled at them but they ignored me, so I walked to the front desk in silence.

The lady who sat behind the desk was thin and pretty, with bright red lipstick and dark black hair. She had on red glasses.

“Are you here for an audition?” She asked perkily. I nodded.

“I don’t need to make an appointment, do I?” I asked.

“No, you’ll just go in after the other girls.” She motioned She motioned to the two unfriendly girls in the chairs. “What’s your name?”

“Norma Jean Dougherty.” When I said my name, I heard one of the unfriendly girls giggle, making me blush. I knew my name sounded very plain, but who were they to judge? I really hoped the agency wouldn’t sign them.

“Alright, Norma. I’m Becky. Have a seat until I call your name.”

I sat down to wait, and soon a girl walked out of the back room. She was very tall and very well-dressed and pretty, but she had a sour expression on her face.

“Irene Avery, you’re up.” Becky called, and the girl who had laughed at me got up and strode into the back room, a confident expression on her face.

About 6 minutes later she walked out, wearing the same sour, dejected expression as the other girl. I waved cheekily at her as she walked out the door.

“Evelyn Stewart, they’re ready for you.” Becky ushered the next girl into the back room.

This time it took a little longer but then, sure enough, she came out looking just as defeated as the others.

This was starting to give me a bad feeling. These girls were stunning. As soon as I entered the back room, I was sure everyone would laugh at me for even bothering to audition. Still, I swallowed my fear and got up when Becky called my name.

The back room was bigger than I imagined, with mirrors lining the back wall. Two men and a woman sat behind a large mahogany desk. They looked very wealthy and seemed to be in their mid 30’s or early 40’s.

“Frank, Lana, that’s her!” One of the men said loudly, motioning towards me.

“Uh, hi. I mean hello.” I waved awkwardly, unsure of what to do. “I’m Norma. Um… Norma Jean Dougherty.”

“So you want to be a model?” The man asked, smiling at me. I smiled back.

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you have any experience modeling, Norma?” The woman asked.

“No. Well, yesterday I was photographed for the Yank magazine.”

“Ah, working girl then.” The man who hadn’t spoken earlier said. I nodded sheepishly. The man who first spoke passed a note to the other two, and they both nodded.

“Smile for us please.” The lady commanded, so I put on my brightest smile. She nodded with approval.

“Well, Miss Dougherty, how would you like to sign with The Blue Book Modeling Agency?” The first man asked me, grinning.

“Really? I can?” When the three of them nodded, I felt like jumping for joy.

“Congratulations, Norma. Can you come in Monday morning around 9 for a photo shoot?”

“Absolutely!”

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Hey guys! I'm not doing one of those "I need 1000000 votes or I'll never post again!" things but could I maybe have...say...12? It's just that every time I post another chapter, it gets fewer and fewer votes. So 12? It's not that many :) Thank you!